


Still Our Song Lives On

by GamerAlexis



Series: Soul Music [4]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Background Character Death, Background Hunk/Shay, Background Keith/Lance - Freeform, F/M, Light Angst, M/M, Polyamory, Soul Bond, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-13
Updated: 2017-08-28
Packaged: 2018-12-08 00:43:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11635386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GamerAlexis/pseuds/GamerAlexis
Summary: Watching over the young paladins, Coran was constantly reminded of his own soul mate, of the soul song he kept to himself.  He had planned to keep his soul song silent, but he learned that some songs, some loves, live forever.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I listen to soundtracks and, surprise, this one was inspired from the new Beauty and the Beast! Title from "How Does a Moment Last Forever"
> 
> As in, that's actually their soul song and the lyrics are in this fic.

It started with Allura and Shiro.  Coran remembered the countless hours comforting Allura as she sang her soul song with no match.  It was a peculiar song, one with themes outside of traditional Altean music, but Coran and Alfor reminded her that her soulmate would be her perfect match.  It had taken a while for Coran to accept that Shiro was the soulmate of Allura.  He was a strange alien, strong, to be sure, a leader at heart, but was he worthy of Allura?

Allura was the crown princess of Altea and her soulmate would be designed to fill her every flaw, to compliment her faults and improve her strengths.

After all, that's what Alfor's soulmate was.

Shiro and Allura sang their soul song so much that Coran started to hum it a little to fill the silence.  The song was beautiful, all those strange themes he remembers hearing Allura sing suddenly made sense as Shiro's voice filled the gaps.

After a few days, Coran realized exactly what a good pair Shiro and Allura really were.

Where Allura was strong and demanding, Shiro tempered her anger.  When Shiro's doubts surfaced, Allura was always there to comfort him and lift him up.  They were a good team, a good pair.  Watching them work together reminded Coran of his younger days, of Alfor and his own soulmate.

* * *

Coran spent his time singing on the hills outside the Altean capital.  He was supposed to be meeting Prince Alfor, the king he would be advising for the rest of his life but his soul song had just started to swell in his chest and he had to sing.  It was such a beautiful song to sing, with slow melodies and a tender voice.  Coran's voice jumped down and he spun slowly around on the grassy hill and it almost felt like they were singing back to him.

A matching melody sang up over the hills and Coran's stomach bottomed out.  He collapsed onto the grass, the juniberry flowers crushed beneath his knees, the sweet scent filling his nostrils.  Coran knew, immediately, what that song was.  That was the other part of his soul song.  Whoever was singing, that was his soulmate.

He didn't think, just started running.  His heart was singing though his lungs had stopped and he chased down every last note, every bit of a melody, until he came to the unfinished Castle of Lions.  Standing in what would become the courtyard, was Prince Alfor.  His white hair was shining brightly in the sun and he was singing.

Realization hit Coran and he stumbled to a stop at the crest of the hill, staring down at the half finished castle and the singing prince.  That was his soul song.  His soulmate was Prince Alfor.

 

They officially met days later.  Enough time for Coran to squash his feelings down.  Alfor would have a lovely princess picked out for him, someone who would rule beside him, and he would simply be a friend and adviser, but nothing more.  No matter what happened, Coran could not allow his soul song to be heard.

The coronation feast was truly an incredible sight.  Alfor looked every bit the part of crown prince, sitting at the head of the table, crown glinting in the light.  He laughed and smiled and Coran fought to keep his gaze from locking onto the sight.  Already, hordes of young women clustered as close to the royal table as they dared, batting their eyelashes, and flipping their hair.

Alfor paid them no mind, however, and Coran felt something like pride in his chest.

"Presenting, for his royal highness, Coran Hieronymus Wimbleton Smythe!"

Coran fumbled and stood beside his grandfather, bowing before the royal table.

"Alfor!  Why not take your new adviser around the castle?  You two should get to know each other!"

Alfor grinned and practically sauntered down from the royal table, snatching a drink from a floating tray nearby.  He downed it quickly and set the glass on the table.  Even if Coran didn't already know that Alfor was his soulmate,  he would have fallen hard and fast.  The prince had stunning eyes and flawless skin.  He took Coran by the shoulder and led him out of the overly crowded hall.

The air in the hallway was significantly cooler than in the great hall and Coran shivered slightly.  The dressy robes were light and airy, perfect for a night of dancing and pleasantries but not at all suited to the breeze outside of the hall.

"So you're to be my adviser," Alfor said casually.

"Yes, your highness."

"Psh, none of that though.  We're to be friends as well!" Alfor slung an arm around Coran's shoulders.  "Now, would you like to visit the marketplace with me?"

"But you're not allowed," Coran said.  "Without a guard or telling anyone... you should stay here, safe inside the castle."

"And what's the point of that, friend?" Alfor asked.  "We are young, Coran!  The crown doesn't weigh on my head yet, let's have some fun!"

Alfor had such brilliant eyes that were glowing with eagerness and anticipation and Coran's soul song floated up in his chest hopefully.

"Ugh, fine," Coran sighed.

The air outside of the castle was cooler than inside and the breeze cut through Coran's clothes, sending goosebumps all across his skin.  The castle rested on top of a hill and there was a small pathway that led down to the main city.  From the courtyard, Coran could see the city light up as if the stars themselves had landed on Altea.  The feast was intended to go all night long but the sun had just barely started its descent.

Coran followed Alfor down the little path.  The lights along the path lit up as they walked past, casting blue shadows along the ground.  The path led them down to the market street.  The road was lined with colorful stalls and and colorful people shouting their wares.  It would take two vargas to traverse the entire market street but doing it with Alfor seemed to double that time.

The prince was absolutely taken with every stall.  He stopped at a jewelers stand for nearly twenty dobashes, picking up different types of jewels and turning them over in his hand.  He lifted up a silver tiara and compared it to a golden one before putting them both down and reaching for one in platinum and comparing it to luxite.

Eventually they moved on, chatting amiably as they meandered through the stalls.  Coran had been coming to the market ever since he was a small child, trailing after his mother's skirts and following her from stall to stall.  He remembered stopping at a stall filled with books and wanted to read each one of them.

Talking with Alfor was the easiest thing in the world to Coran.  It felt like they had been friends far longer than a few vargas and Coran's soul song was bursting through his chest, begging to be sung, to match with Alfor.

Eventually they came to a stop at a stall filled with jars of little Balmera Crystals.  Coran had never seen crystals that small before.  Little jars filled with sparkling crystals that refracted the light and flashed over the stall.

"What are these for?" Coran asked as Alfor picked up a jar and shook it around.  "Too small for a ship."

"These crystals are designed to find soulmates," the vendor explained.  "They catch onto the soul song energy and find their match."

Alfor's eyes widened and he almost dropped the jar.  "I could find my soulmate?"

"Instantly."

Coran gasped.  His soul song was jumping from his chest, begging for sweet release.  Alfor didn't need to spend money on crystals when his soulmate was  _right here_.  Coran only had to sing - just a little melody would do - and Alfor would know.  A hum started to build in his throat, burning in his mouth with a fiery desire.

"Nah," Alfor set the jar down.  "I'm in no hurry.  My soulmate and I will meet when the time is right.  No reason to force it."

Coran swallowed thickly, pushing his soul song deep down in his gut.  Alfor was to marry someone of stature and class, that was his destiny - soulmate or not.  Oh, the ancients were playing a horrible trick on Coran, giving him a soulmate he could never be bound to, someone that Coran would always have to watch from a distance but never get too close.

They left the stall and made their way down to the end of the market street.  The sun had passed over the horizon and colorful lights lit up the streets.  The market stall tents were glowing, blue and orange and red, bathing the road in a warm light.  The road opened up to a small park, complete with statues and fountain.  Small lights were twisted around the trees, twinkling yellow in the darkness like starlight.

Alfor sat down on one of the benches, sprawling out with a dramatic sigh.  Coran tried to keep his eyes from trailing down Alfor's long legs.  He failed.  Alfor had a stunning physique.  His shoulders were wide, his legs were long and muscled, his white hair practically glowed in the low light.  Realizing he was still standing, awkwardly staring at the crown prince, Coran rushed to sit down as well.

They sat in silence, only the sounds from the market broke the still, quiet air.  The trilling song of the malari bird floated in the air, sweet and full of longing.

"Did you know there are legends that the malari bird is who taught us to sing?" Coran broke the silence.  "They mate only once and sing their song until their match is found.  The story goes that the ancients admired the malaries dedication and love and learned to sing, to match their soul to music.  And thus our soul songs were created, something beyond quintessence, something deeper than that."

"Have you found yours then?" Alfor asked, nudging Coran playfully in the ribs.  "You speak as if you have."

"You haven't?" Coran countered.

Alfor blushed.  "No.  I know that soulmates come with time and, to be honest, I'm in no hurry.  I'm sure my father has plenty of plans for my future, not all of which include my soulmate."

"How can it not?  Your soulmate is part of you, part of your future!"

"My future is Altea," Alfor said firmly.  "When I become king, it is expected that I have a partner who will balance me in every way.  That may be my soulmate, but it also may not.  I cannot let my personal needs outweigh the need of my people."

"And if your soulmate matches?" Coran asked.  He should stop.  He was pushing too deep, his soul song fluttering in his throat, hoping beyond hope that Alfor would  _get it_ and feel the same pull that Coran had been feeling all night.

Alfor's smile lit up his entire face.  "That would be a dream come true."

It was too much.  Coran's song was pushing too hard against his chest and he couldn't help but let it slip out.  Voice raspy on the notes, Coran sang.

" _How does a moment last forever?   How can a story never die?  It is love we must hold onto, never easy, but we try_."

Alfor's smile dropped instantly.  His eyes widened and his cheeks went red.  Coran needed to stop, he was going to ruin  _everything_.  Alfor was the crown prince with a destiny bigger than Coran.  He had Altea to think of and Coran was there to advise and support.  Not throw another complication into the mix.  Coran snapped his mouth shut, his own face flaming red from embarrassment.

Then Alfor started to sing, his voice catching on the words.  Words that Coran had etched into his heart and soul.

" _Sometimes our happiness is captured.  Somehow our time and place stands still.  Love lives on inside our hearts and always will_."

The silence that followed Alfor's singing was deafening, even the bustle from the marketplace seemed subdued.  The quietness of the park seemed to suffocate Coran and the soft lighting was too intimate.  It would have been the perfect moment for two souls to come together.  Coran felt his soul reaching out and connecting with Alfor's.  It was everything he ever wanted and so much more, his soul finding its match.

But Coran couldn't allow it.  He couldn't let his own love story ruin Alfor's future.

"I'm sorry!" Coran jumped from the bench.  "I never wanted you to know.  I don't want to tie you down and stop you from your kingship.  I won't do it again, sire.  I'm so sorry."

Coran spun around and ran.


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey, Coran?"

Coran looked up from where he was adjusting the Castle's trajectory.  With the Balmera fully restored and Allura resting, Coran took it upon himself to take the paladins to the ancient training grounds for some much needed training.  Hunk was standing in the doorway, shuffling awkwardly into the room.

"Hello, Hunk!  What can I do for you?  Want to send some love letters to Shay?  Never fear, I have just the thing!"

"Actually, no," Hunk said.  "I mean, not right now because I would  _love_ to be pen pals with Shay, but that's not the point!"  Hunk sighed and rubbed the back of his head.  "I was wondering if you could tell me more about different soul songs."

Ah, that conversation.  Coran gestured for Hunk to come sit beside him on the bridge.  Hunk scurried over and sat down heavily.

"So this is about Shay, isn't it?"

"I grew up with my soul song always being different," Hunk said.  "Different melodies, different beat, just different.  And I always felt a different beat in my soul which, apparently, is the Balmera's beat.  And then there's Shiro, who's soulmates with Allura and his song was different too!  And Lance's song is the weirdest of the lot and Keith doesn't even sing!  I guess... I'm just confused.  What if we never found the blue lion?  What if we never found you guys?  Would Shiro and I just move on?  How do you fall in love with someone who isn't your soulmate?"

"Love isn't contained just to soulmates," Coran said.  "We Alteans believe in love, but we also believe in choice.  The idea that one must have a soulmate and no other is unacceptable to us.  Yes, we encourage soulmates and support our soul songs with everything we have, but if the choice comes to leave a soulmate, we honor that decision as well."

"Dude, that's like my moms, well, sorta," Hunk grinned.  "My mom was married to a man from a different tribe, you know, politics.  But they weren't soulmates.  I think my mom loved him, you know?  At least a little bit.  But then she met my makuahine.  She and my mom fell in love pretty much instantly.  She's the one who taught me to dance.  I think though, if they hadn't met, Mom and Dad would still be together."

"Love is a strange thing," Coran said.  "We do crazy things for love."

Hunk leaned forward.  His dark eyes like melted candy as he peered at Coran.  "Did you have a soulmate?"

"I did," Coran said wistfully.  "But I had to let him go."

* * *

She was beautiful, even Coran could see that.  Her hair was long and curly, flowing down her back like a snowdrift.  She was gentle and thoughtful, a peacemaker in her own right.  Coran had seen her defuse an argument between merchants with only a few, well placed words.

She would make a glorious queen.

However, she was one of many women at the feast, all of them vying for Prince Alfor's attention.  She was pushed back to the shadows, gently conversing with the wait staff.

Well, that wouldn't do.

After the disastrous market incident, Coran vowed to not let it ruin his blossoming friendship with Alfor.  He came back the next day ready to fulfill his duties and keep his soul song locked away.  To his incredible relief, Alfor acted completely the same.  It was as if the night had never happened.

It had been years since then and, so far, there had been no repercussions from it.  They were friends.  They shopped the market together, studied together, trained together.  Coran knew he had to be Alfor's support during his time as king and all their time together only brought them closer, cementing their relationship.

Unfortunately, it also meant that Coran would be the support for Alfor's wife, the future Queen of Altea.

Well, if Coran was going to give up his soulmate to someone else, he was going to do everything in his power to make it a good choice.

He walked over to the woman, beautiful and passive, and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hello, miss, my name is Coran, I was wondering if I may have this next dance?"

She smiled and laughed.  "Coran, adviser to Prince Alfor?"

"The very same!"

"My, you look much more fit than I expected," she said, eyes roaming down Coran's bare arms.

"All the better to protect my prince," Coran explained.  "May I have this dance then....?"

"Yllia," she bowed her head.  "And you most certainly may."

Coran swept her onto the dance floor.  Yllia was quite a dancer, moving with grace and elegance and following Coran's every lead.  She spun around, her hair flowing and skirts twisting.  Coran could feel the eyes following them on the dance floor.  Yllia was quite a sight, radiant in the sparkling light of the dance floor.  Unbidden, Coran's eyes searched the crowd until they rested on Alfor.

The Prince was completely still, mouth gaping open and a blush on his cheeks.

The song ended too soon and Coran bowed his gratitude to Yllia for the dance.

"You should dance with the Prince," Coran said, not so subtly leading Yllia towards Alfor.

"Oh, no, I couldn't," Yllia shook her head.  "I wouldn't want to impose."

"It would be no imposition," Coran said, coming to a halt in front of a flustered Alfor.  "Would it, my friend?"

"Oh, uh, of course not," Alfor stuttered.

Coran took Yllia's hand and gently placed it in Alfor's, sending them off to the dance floor.  They were a stunning pair, dark skin and white hair, gracefully dancing.  Coran's soul song faded in his chest, the fire of longing dimming to a soft glow.  He knew that Alfor was falling in love with Yllia and she was falling for him.  He knew it would come to this, that Alfor would never be his, no matter how much they sang.

The wedding was beautiful.  Coran cried and his soul song was withered away to mere embers, pulsing faintly in his chest as he gave away his soulmate. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Healthy polyamorous relationships are good stuff. Remember kids, communication is key!

Coran found some old files in the records room of the Castle.  Most of them were documents, treaties and genealogical lines and such, but there was a set of holodisks that contained pictures from King Alfor's younger days.  Coran grabbed the one that was the years between his announcement as crown prince and his coronation as king; the golden years, Coran had called them.

He took the holodisk to the recreation room and cast the images onto the big screen.  At the first picture, a wave of nostalgia rose through Coran so hard, tears sprung to his eyes at the sight.

It was the juniberry festival after Alfor and Yllia had married.  The three of them were standing in front of the juniberry fields, dim blue lights casting them in a soft glow.  Yllia's hair was braided with juniberry flowers and her dress was light and airy, perfect for the hot and muggy night of the festival.  Alfor had an arm around her waist and was smiling so wide his eyes were crinkled shut.  His other arm was slung over Coran's shoulders, pulling them close enough their cheeks were pressed together.

Coran remembered that night, when Alfor had drank too much and it took both Yllia and Coran to drag him home.

The next picture on the disk was of Alfor and Coran studying together, both of them hunched over papers and documents.  The next was Yllia and Alfor dancing in the ballroom.  Again and again were pictures of the three of them, the future of Altea.

The door slid open and someone plopped down next to Coran.

"Hello, Number Five," Coran greeted Pidge and cycled to the next picture, this one of Coran and Alfor on a diplomatic mission.

"He was your soulmate, wasn't he?" Pidge said.

Coran considered lying for a moment, but only a moment.  Pidge was far too brilliant to lie to, even for Coran (who was an accomplished liar thank you).

"You never sing your song, but I know you have one," Pidge kept going.  "And Hunk said that you let your soulmate go, which means he was someone you couldn't have.  And with how close you are to Allura, to the royal family, it wasn't hard to figure out."

"Yes," Coran sighed.  "Alfor was my soulmate and, yes, I let him go."

Pidge hummed.  "Was it hard?"

"For a while," Coran cycled through the holodisk until he came to Alfor and Yllia's wedding photo.  "And then... something miraculous happened."

* * *

It was surprising to Coran, how quickly Yllia became as dear a friend to him as Alfor.  She shared his love of knowledge and often accompanied him to the library while Alfor spent his time training or studying alchemy.  Yllia was a stunning intellect and she and Coran spent hours learning of different planets and quizzing each other on the customs of different races.

He had grown so close to Yllia that he started to hum his soul song while studying together.

"That song you hum, what is it?" Yllia asked one day, interrupting Coran's study of the Olkari.  "I've never heard it before."

"Oh, um," Coran felt the tips of his ears start to burn.  When had he grown so lax?  "It's my soul song.  My apologies, Princess, sometimes it just slips out."

"I recognize it," Yllia's face went thoughtful, her lips pursed and eyebrows pinching together.  "It sounds... familiar.  Like a music box."  She snapped her fingers together.  "Alfor!  It sounds like... like..."

She looked at Coran.  Her eyes were surprisingly wide and all color drained from her face.  Her mouth hung open in shock.  Coran's heart sank to his knees.

"When were you going to tell me?" Yllia demanded.

"Tell you what, Princess?"

Yllia slammed her hands onto the table.  "Don't play foolish with me!  You know  _exactly_ what I'm talking about.  When were you going to tell me that you are my husband's soulmate?"

Coran bit his lip and looked down.

"Were you ever?"

"I'm sorry, Princess," Coran muttered to his knees.

Yllia groaned.  "Does he know?"

"Yes."

"D-Does he love you?"

"Not the way he loves you, Princess."

"I... I must go," Yllia stood up so suddenly, her chair fell over with a clatter.

Coran looked up to see her skirts swish around the corner, on her way to confront her husband no doubt.  Alfor had always believed in the kingdom before soulmates and, if this was a problem, Coran would leave.  Altea was a large planet, he could move far away from the kingdom, away from Alfor and Yllia, allow them to live their life in peace and happiness.

They were growing to be a wonderful couple and would rule Altea marvelously with or without Coran.

If banishment was the solution, then so be it.

That settled, Coran stood up.  If he was going to leave the capital, he would have to find somewhere else to live.

 

Days passed and Coran heard nothing from Yllia or Alfor.  He avoided the royal council and kept himself either in his room or at the library.  His belongings were all packed away, ready to leave in a moments notice.  Ever since he first heard Alfor's singing, Coran knew this would be his lot in life.  He would never be allowed the chance to bond with his soulmate.

He just never expected it to hurt this much.

Someone knocked at his door.  Coran glanced at the time - nearly dinner.  He'd been engrossed in finding travel across the planet he hadn't bothered to keep an eye on the time.  His stomach rumbled aggressively.

Rubbing his eyes, Coran opened the door.

"Hello, Coran," Alfor said softly.  His head was bowed meekly and he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.  "M-May I come in?"

Coran nodded dumbly and stepped aside.  He hadn't seen Alfor in nearly a week and it was rare for him to make the visit to Coran's little room.  Alfor's gaze lingered on the bags packed in the corner and the maps laid out on Coran's desk.

"Were you planning to leave?" Alfor asked.

"Preparing to, sire," Coran explained.

"Coran, how often do I have to tell you, no need for formalities.  We're friends, are we not?"

"Of course, my apologies... Alfor."

Alfor gave a small grin and looked around the rest of the room.  "You've packed... everything.  Are you... are you not coming back?"

There was a small, broken note in Alfor's voice and Coran felt his composure crack.

"Didn't Yllia tell you?"

Alfor's eyes widened in realization and his face flushed red.  He looked off to the side and mumbled under his breath.

"Alfor...?"

"Yes, Yllia told me everything," Alfor admitted.  "She... um, she's the reason I'm here, actually."

"Come to send me away?" Coran guessed.  "Was only a matter of time after she found out we were soulmates.  She's a perfect queen, Alfor, don't let her go.  I'll be gone by morning and you'll never have to worry about me, or our song, ever again.  Just you, your glorious queen, and Altea."  Coran turned around and felt his eyes start to tear up (traitors).  "You'll do great things Alfor, I know you will.  I'm just sad that I won't be able to see it."

"Wh- what are you talking about?" Alfor said.  "Sending you away?  Why the quiznak would I do that?"

"Because I'm your soulmate," Coran said.  "No matter how much you love Yllia, our souls are bound together and, sooner or later, that's going to cause problems."

"What kind of problems?"

Coran spun around, hands in the air.  Alfor wasn't normally this thick, was he?

"Ruining your marriage kind of problems!" Coran practically yelled.  "My soul  _yearns_ for you, Alfor!  It has ever since I heard you singing.  But you don't need me, you need a queen,  _Altea_ needs a queen.  And Yllia is perfect, and she's my best friend next to you and the two of you are just so perfect that I can't bear to think I might be in the middle of it, that I might ruin it.  I... I love you, Alfor, but you love her and that is how it's supposed to be.  If I stay then I can't promise I'll keep my soul song in check."

"Then don't," Alfor shrugged.  "It's not fair, after all. You've heard me singing our song but I've only heard you the one time."

"I can't," Coran shook his head.  "If I start singing, Alfor... I won't stop."

"Maybe I don't want you to."

"I..." Coran narrowed his eyes.  "What has gotten into you?  This... I don't understand.  You were the one who told me that you would choose Altea over a soulmate and... and I  _agree_ with you.  I'm practically begging you to forget me and forge on with Yllia."

Alfor reached out and gently took Coran's hand in his own.  "Some hearts are made to love more.  Yes, I love Yllia.  She is my wife and I treasure her.  I couldn't ask for a better partner or companion."  Coran tried to pull his hand away but Alfor hung on tight.  "But I also love my soulmate.  He's right, after all.  Our souls are bound together and when I heard him sing... Coran, it was the best night of my life."

"I don't understand," Coran whispered.

"Some are just meant to love more.  I love Yllia, but I can also love you," Alfor moved their hands so their fingers interlocked and the feeling sent jolts of electricity up Coran's arm.  "She's studied different soul songs and she's heard stories of soul songs spread across multiple partners.  They don't love one more than the other, they're just meant to be a trio, not a duet."

"But Yllia..."

"She has her own soul song, her own soulmate that isn't me, Coran.  When we find them, it would never lessen the love she and I have for each other.  Just like how my love for you doesn't compete with my love for her.  They're just different."  Alfor stepped in, close enough their chests were touching.  "My soul has longed for its match, Coran, for you."

Then Alfor was kissing him and Coran's entire soul lit up.

 

It wasn't easy for a while.  Coran spent the first few weeks feeling like a mistress, a secret lover hidden from the Prince's wife.  But Yllia was his friend and she beat that thought out of his head fairly quick.  Alfor was careful to spend time with both Coran and Yllia, not favoring one over the other.  Coran half expected some romantic feelings to blossom for Yllia, the wife of his soulmate, but they never did.

Yllia was still his friend, one of his best, and those feelings never changed over the years.  Often, Alfor complained he was getting teamed up on by the two of them, to which Coran and Yllia scoffed it off (they totally were).

It was the happiest years of Coran's life.

* * *

The Castle was dark and sleepy but Coran found sleep far from him.  Since seeing the paladins find their soulmates brought all those old memories rushing back to the surface and every time Coran closed his eyes, he could only see Alfor's smiling face.

Music was playing down a hallway, a soft melody that caught Coran's attention.  It was late enough that the rest of the paladins should be sleeping.  So who was awake at this time of night?  Coran set down to follow the noiseand came to an abandoned ballroom.

They hadn't been able to see the entire castle yet and many rooms were left untouched, including the ballroom.  Coran's last memory was running with Allura through the ballroom as Zarkon began his reign.  He wasn't eager to revisit it, but that's where the music was coming from.

He pushed open the door and peeked in.

The ballroom was as grandiose as it had always been with high ceilings and arching doorways.  The music was coming from an old Altean music player and, dancing across the floor, was Keith and Lance.  Keith was leading, holding Lance close and whispering in his ear.  Lance laughed and allowed Keith to dip him dramatically, pressing a tender kiss to Lance's throat.

"Oh," Lance looked at Coran, his face confused and upside-down.  "Hi, Coran."

Keith lifted Lance up gently and rested an arm around his waist.  Spotted, Coran had no choice but to enter the ballroom, his shoes clicking on the floor.

"Isn't it a bit late to be dancing?"

"Never to late to be dancing," Keith shrugged.  "And Lance was singing all night, we had to do something about it."

" _We_ had to?" Lance repeated.  "I think you mean  _you_ had to!  I don't think I've ever been able to sing without you dancing!"

"I can't help it!  You sing and, it's like, my soul has to move, I have no choice!"

"Well when you start dancing I  _have_ to start singing!"

Coran laughed, stopping the boys' argument before it could start.  Soulmates have always been that way, singing with each other no matter the circumstances.  He and Alfor used to drive the royal court up the wall, Coran humming their soul song until Alfor couldn't contain it any more and would burst into song during important meetings.

"It's how soulmates are," Coran sighed wistfully.  "When souls are bound, what one does the other must follow.  Haven't you noticed Allura and Shiro only sing together now?  And that Hunk has been suspiciously silent with his song?  When you find your other half you can't go back to being alone."

"How do you do it?" Lance asked.  "I mean... I know we don't talk about what happened but... how do you do it?  I can't..." Lance reached over and tucked Keith's hair behind his ear, fingers lingering across Keith's cheek.  "I can't imagine not having Keith around."

Coran's chest ached with his soul song.  He hadn't sung it in ten thousand years but it still burned through his soul like a fire.  For the first time in a long time, Coran felt his soul song welling up inside of him.  Seeing these paladins fall in love, find their soulmates, brought back memories Coran had thought long forgotten.

"I... it's extremely difficult some days," Coran said.  "I miss him more than words can say.  I half expect to see him coming around the corner, song at his lips and wife by his side but he doesn't.  I let my soul song die down because to sing without its match hurts too much to sing.  But seeing you paladins reminds me of the love I once had and helped me remember that... maybe my love didn't die just because he did."

"I'm so sorry, Coran," Keith reached out and clapped him on the shoulder.  "I can't... I can't imagine not having Lance's song with me."

"It's not so bad," Coran shrugged.  "My love for my soulmate is stronger than death and I know that I'll see him again.  He's just... not here right now."

"Can I hear it?" Lance jumped next to Keith.  "Your soul song, I mean."

Coran's heart leaped in his chest and something cold slipped down his spine.  He had only sung his soul song with Alfor, never sang it alone.  But here was a friendly young paladin, young and so in love with his soulmate, who was asking him to sing.

"I haven't sung in so long," Coran whispered.  "It's been over ten thousand years..."

"I - I'm sorry," Lance muttered.  "I shouldn't have asked.  It was inappropriate."

But Coran opened his heart and soul and let his soul song float up his chest.  His throat was rough after so much disuse but his song was still in his soul and he sang his gentle half of a calm lullaby that he'd sung forever.  His soul yearned for the second voice, for Alfor's deep bass to blend and match with his song but no voice came.  It was only Coran, singing alone in a ballroom.

His voice tapered off in the end, the final note hovering in the still air.

"That's... beautiful," Keith whispered and Coran offered a weak smile.

"It's different without him," Coran sighed.  "Hollow."

"Coran... have you ever listened to your own soul song?" Lance asked.  "Have you ever heard the words?  I mean... really heard them?"

"Well, no, I never had to."

"Soul songs are part of you and part of your soulmate," Lance went on to explain.  "Pidge goes on about it for hours, you think she'd have found a better habit since then.  Anyway, the words to the songs are just as important as the melody and your song, Coran, your song told you about this!  It was a warning and should be a comfort to you now."

Coran thought back onto his song, the one he had sung so many times before.  A song of love, of happiness, and of the endurance of both.  Coran hummed through the melody a few more times, remembering fondly all the times he had sung it with Alfor.  Quietly in the dark dawn of Altea, wrapped up around each other.  Confidently down the hallways of the castle.  He had never sung his song without Alfor beside him.

"Your song lives on," Keith said.  "Even if he's gone, you still have your song, you still have that part of him."

"Thank you, boys," Coran said, his voice thick and eyes tight.

"We'll see you in the morning, Coran," Keith said.  "Try and get some rest."

The two walked out of the ballroom leaving Coran alone with his soul song still resonating in his chest.  If he closed his eyes, he could almost imagine Alfor singing back to him, his gentle hands running over Coran's shoulders, cradling his face.

"Some day, my love," Coran whispered.  "Some day we shall meet again.  But until then, I'll hold our song dear."

Feeling lighter than he had in months, more at ease and at peace with himself, Coran left the old ballroom.

Perhaps they could arrange a dance for the next meeting of the Voltron Alliance.


End file.
